The pay dispute that sent thousands of health support workers to the picket lines this week has been referred to the Labour Court.
All sides were invited to the hearing after talks aimed at ending the dispute broke up without agreement last night.
The dispute involved 10,000 workers at 38 hospitals and health centres around the country.
SIPTU said it was attending this morning’s hearing with no preconditions – and said three further strike days are still due to go ahead next week.
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A man is dues in court this morning in connection with the death of a Latvian woman who was stabbed in Dublin on Wednesday.
34-year-old Skaidrite Valdgeima was found with serious injuries in an apartment in the Bonham Street area of the city.
The mother-of-three was pronounced dead a short time later in hospital.
A man in his 20s is due in court this morning charged in connection with her death.
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France is bracing for what may be its hottest day on record as a scorching heatwave continues to hold Europe in its grip.
The heat ignited huge wildfires in Spain yesterday – with the military sent to help firefighters tackle the 5,500 hectare blaze.
Germany, France, Poland and the Czech Republic all recorded their highest-ever June temperatures yesterday.
Forecasts in France suggest today’s temperatures may break the 44.1C record measured in a 2003 heatwave in 2003 that killed thousands of people.
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World leaders from 19 countries - and the European Union - are meeting in Japan for the G20 summit today.
The annual meeting is of leaders from the countries with the largest and fastest-growing economies.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach is Manchester for the British-Irish Council Summit.
Leo Varadkar will meet with the UKs de-facto deputy prime minister David Liddington – with Brexit and the Stormont impasse high on the agenda.
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Construction industry unions are due to hold a protest outside the site of the new National Children's Hospital this morning.
The demonstration aims to highlight their campaign against bogus self-employment.
The campaign warns that many employers have been hiring people as contractors when they are in effect full time workers.
The practice allows the employers to avoid paying social insurance and pension contributions and bypass employment law and responsibilities.
Campaigners say there are big financial gains for employers and serious consequences for the public finances.
